Anxious
by Rosewood girl 317
Summary: Charles has been in prison for years, and at first glance, Aria seems to have moved on. She's married to Ezra Fitz, and they live with their young children in the city of San Francisco. Little does everyone know, Aria has been battling anxiety for years, and it's starting to eat her up inside. Will Aria be able to overcome life's hardships, or will she finally crumble? One-shot!


Aria's POV

I wake up with a start when the alarm clock on my nightstand begins to buzz. I immediately sit up in bed, and let out a startled cry. Ezra, my husband of seven years, instinctively wraps his arms around me and plants a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Babe, it was just the alarm clock. Don't be afraid. You're still safe." Ezra says as he stares into my hazel eyes.

Charles has been in prison for twelve years now, and I'm still deathly afraid. I didn't used to be this way though. After I went off to college, I was able to forget about the pain I endured in Rosewood, and ease the symptoms of my anxiety and depression. By the time I graduated from college, I was ready to walk down the aisle with the love of my life, and launch my writing career.

At first, everything was perfect. Our income wasn't exactly high, but Ezra and I saved enough money to buy a small town house in the heart of San Francisco. He taught college at the local university, while I stayed home and began working on my best selling book series, "Pretty Little Liars."

Even though I spent my days writing about Charles,Ian,CeCe, and all the other creepy faces in Rosewood, I felt safe in my life. I was thousands of miles away from Rosewood, and I had Ezra to help me burry the demons of our past. Everything changed about a year into our marriage, when I got pregnant with our first child.

Ezra and I were both thrilled when we found out I was expecting. Even though we didn't plan the baby, both of us were ready to become parents. The pregnancy was easy, and exactly nine months after conceiving, I gave birth to a six pound baby girl. And she was perfect.

After much deliberation, we decided to name our daughter Lena Ella Fitz. The name literally means "sunlight", and that's what she represents to me. A beam of sunlight and happiness in the crazy and chaotic world that we exist in.

Despite the happiness and joy that my daughter brought me, the months after her birth were anything but happy and joyful. I developed postpartum depression, and my anxiety came back stronger than ever. I'd have panic attacks, and flashbacks to when I was locked in the dollhouse. It got so bad that I wouldn't even bother to get out of bed in the morning.

Even though I assured Ezra that I was fine, he insisted that I needed additional medical help. When Lena was only four months old, Ezra checked me into a mental hospital, and I stayed there for three months. My doctor's told me that I'd never be able to get rid of the anxiety, but they gave me methods and ways of coping with it.

By the time I was released from the hospital, I was doing much better. I wasn't back to my normal self, but I was able to continue with my writing career and be the mother Lena needed me to be.

Five years have passed since Lena's birth, and I'm still battling my anxiety. For the most part I'm happy, but there are weeks, and sometimes even months, where I can hardly function. Taking care of myself is difficult, let alone raising Lena and her sixteen month old brother, Theo.

"Aria." My husband whispers as he stares into my hazel eyes.

The last three days have been a nightmare. I've been having panic attacks, and I feel too depressed to do anything productive. Ezra has no idea what triggered my anxiety, and I don't intend on telling him.

"What's wrong? Just talk to me." Ezra says, practically begging.

"Theo. Just get Theo." I mutter as I avoid looking into my husband's eyes.

Ezra nods before springing to his feet, and hurrying out of our bedroom. Moments later he comes back with our son, who rubbing his tired eyes. The little guy probably just woke up.

"Mama!" Theo exclaims as he reaches for me.

I take the baby from Ezra, and plant a soft kiss on his forehead. Unlike Lena, who is a carbon copy of her daddy, Theo looks just like me. The little boy has my hazel eyes, along with my nose and bone structure. Even though Theo looks like me, he reminds me so much of Ezra. The boy definitely inherited his father's sweetness, and his gentle nature. I couldn't have asked for a better son.

"Morning, sweetie-pie." I mutter before kissing the baby's forehead for the second time this morning.

"Mama." Theo repeats with a smile.

For the first time today, a soft smile forms on my face. I love Theo and Lena so much, and if it weren't for them, I don't know where I'd be. My eyes dart over to Ezra, and I gasp when I remember that it's Monday. He's has work, and if he doesn't leave soon he'll be late.

"Ezra, why are you still here? You're going to be late for work!" I exclaim as my eyes grow wide with shock.

"I'm not going to work today. I'm staying home with you and Theo." Ezra says as his tone turns serious.

"Why?" I ask with confusion in my voice.

"Do you honestly not know why?" Ezra asks with an eye roll.

"No." I say as I rock Theo in my arms.

"You've been in one of your spells since you got home from the park with Lena on Friday. You didn't get out of bed all weekend, and you're having nightmares..." Ezra starts to ramble.

"So what? I had a bad weekend. I'm feeling much better today. There's no need for you to miss work." I say, trying to convince my husband.

"Yes there is. You're not capable of taking care of yourself, let alone the baby." Ezra says as he gestures towards the little boy in my arms.

"I big boy." Theo tells his father seriously.

Ezra chuckles before taking Theo from me, and tickling his little tummy. Theo giggles, and tears begin to form in my eyes. Ezra is such a good Daddy. He's also an amazing husband, teacher, and person. It sucks that he's stuck with me. Ezra deserves someone better. He should be with a woman who doesn't have mental break downs, and doesn't need to be taken care of during the work week. Part of him probably resents me.

"Honey, what is it now? Why are you so upset?" Ezra asks as his voice softens.

Because I'm a huge burden. Because I'm a terrible mother. Because I can't forget about Charles and everything else that happened to me in Rosewood on days like today. Because I'm tired.

"Aria..." Ezra starts to ramble.

"I don't-I don't want you to miss work because of me." I say with a whimper.

"Aria, it's not a big deal. I found another professor who is willing to cover all my lectures, and you know I don't mind taking care of you. I love you, and it's my job to make sure you're okay." Ezra says as he stares into my hazel eyes.

Ironically his words cause me to cry even harder, and my husband lets out a long sigh. He hates seeing me this upset, and I hate that I'm hurting him.

"Mama's sad?" Theo asks me softly.

"No..." I start to say.

"Yeah, Buddy. Mama's very sad today. Why don't you help by giving her lots of kisses?" Ezra suggests.

Theo responds by leaning towards me, and kissing my face several times. My son's loving actions cause my tears to subside, and eventually I feel somewhat better.

"Thank you, my love." I tell Theo gratefully.

"Welcome." Theo says in response.

"How about I run by the grocery store after I drop Lena off at Kindergarden? I can get the ingredients for blueberry pancakes, and you can have breakfast in bed." Ezra offers.

All I hear is "Lena" and "Kindergarden." I can't let her go to school today. The thought of sending Lena off makes me absolutely sick. I need her here with me. Especially after what happened on Friday afternoon.

"Ezra, I want Lena to stay home from school today. She was really tired yesterday, and flu season is rolling around. I don't want her to get sick..." I start to ramble.

"Aria, what is this really about? We both know that Lena has to go to school." Ezra says as his tone turns serious.

"Please, Ezra. I'd feel better if she stayed home today. I'll read with her so she doesn't get behind." I say, practically begging.

"I don't want Lena missing school, but you're her mother. If you can convince her to stay home, fine." Ezra says as he shakes his head slowly.

"I'll be back." I say before springing to my feet, and sprinting to my daughter's room.

A small smile forms on my face when I see Lena sleeping soundly in the canopy bed that Ezra made for her last year. Lena is our little princess, and she's absolutely perfect. I love my daughter so much.

"Lena, it's time to wake up." I whisper before taking a seat on my daughter's bed, and shaking her gently.

"Mommy..." Lena mumbles with a tired yawn.

"Come on, princess." I say as I run my fingers through my daughter's curly hair.

Lena sits up in bed, and wraps her little arms around me. Even though being a mother is difficult, moments like these make up for all the challenges.

"Mommy, is today Monday?" Lena asks me curiously.

"It is." I say with a nod.

"Yay! Monday means school and show and tell! Can you make me look pretty today, Mommy?" Lena asks with excitement in her voice.

Convincing Lena to stay home today is not going to be an easy task. I was blessed with a child who loves going to school, and she throws a fit every time she gets sick and has to stay home. How am I going to accomplish this?

"Lena, I have a great idea. Why don't you skip school today, and we can have a Mommy Lena day? Doesn't that sound like fun?" I ask, trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as possible.

"Didn't you hear me? Mondays are show and tell. If I don't go to school today, I'll have to wait six more days!" Lena exclaims.

"I know honey, but I'd really like you to stay with me today." I say as tears begin to form in my hazel eyes.

A look of realization washes over my daughter's face, and I know she understands why I want her to stay home.

"I-Is it because of the mean man?" Lena asks with a whimper.

"Yes." I say with a nod.

A look of absolute terror washes over Lena's face, and she begins to cry. She's a worrier just like I am, and it kills me on the inside. What if Lena grows up to be just as anxious and nervous as I am? I don't want that for her.

"Mommy... Will he be at school today?" Lena asks through her tears.

"No sweetheart, that man isn't going to be at school. He's far away by now, and he isn't going to hurt you again." I say, trying to convince her and myself.

"I was so scared, Mommy..." Lena starts to say.

"I know you were, princess. Mommy was scared too. We don't need to be scared anymore though. The mean man isn't coming back." I say as I hold my daughter close to me.

"Then why can't I go to school? And why were you sad all weekend?" Lena asks me curiously.

"I just worry about you, baby girl. That's what Mommies do. Can you just do me a favor and stay home today?" I ask as I stare into my daughter's blue eyes.

"Okay." Lena says with a nod.

"That's my girl." I mutter as I hold Lena close to me.

Line Break

Since Lena agreed to miss school today, I agreed to spend the entire day playing with her. We're currently snuggling on the couch, and watching her favorite movie, "Beauty and The Beast."

Lena sings along with Belle to the song, "Something There." I have to bite my tongue to keep from giggling at my daughter's undeniable adorableness. She knows all the songs in the movie by heart, and she never misses an opportunity to practice them.

"Mommy, are Belle and Beast in love yet?" Lena after the song ends.

"Well, they're starting to fall in love. That's the point of the song." I say with a chuckle.

"Do you love Daddy like Belle loves Beast?" Lena asks me curiously.

"Sweetheart, I have loved your Daddy ever since I was sixteen years old. He's the best husband a woman could ask for, and I'm so happy he's mine." I tell my daughter truthfully.

"That's so beautiful." Lena says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

I chuckle before kissing the girl's forehead softly. Lena is such a little romantic, and it's clear to everyone that she's my daughter.

"Why don't we finish up the movie?" I suggest.

Lena nods, and snuggles even closer to me. I hold the five year old in my arms, and let out a tired yawn. I didn't sleep much last night, and I'm starting to feel very tired. Within minutes I'm sleeping soundly on the couch, with Lena by my side.

Line Break

When I wake up from my nap, Lena isn't by my side.

What. The. Hell.

Panic immediately washes over me, and I begin to pace around the living room anxiously. Where could she be? What if someone stole her from me?

"Lena!" I call out to the girl.

Silence. Without wasting another second, I sprint into my daughter's bedroom and cry out in fear when I realize that it's empty. Maybe she's playing with Theo? I run into my son's room, and gasp when I realize that Theo is napping in his crib, but Lena isn't anywhere to be found. My baby girl. I drop to my knees, and begin to sob hysterically. Why did I have to fall asleep? I should have been watching her.

All of the sudden, I'm not in my son's room anymore. I'm trapped in the dollhouse, where Charles is standing right in front of me, and holding a sobbing Lena in his arms.

"Don't hurt her. Just give her back to me." I cry out.

Charles doesn't respond. He just tightens his grasp on Lena, and gives me an evil smile.

"Aria, you need to calm down. This isn't real. You're having a panic attack. Just breathe." I say out loud to myself.

But how can I breathe when Lena is missing? Even though the dollhouse was an illusion, her being gone isn't. I'm a terrible mother.

"Aria!" I hear a familiar voice say.

I look up, and gasp when I see Lena and Ezra standing in the doorway. Thank God! Lena is here! She's here, and she's safe!

"Oh, Lena!" I mutter before springing to my feet, and enveloping the girl in a hug.

"Why are you sad, Mommy?" Lena asks me softly.

"I-I woke up and you were gone. Where did you go?" I ask through my tears.

"To the store with Daddy. We bought you roses and chocolates." Lena tells me.

I go from being terrified to furious in less than a second. How dare Ezra take Lena without telling me! Does he have any idea how upset I was I woke up, and she wasn't there?

"What were you thinking?" I scream at my husband furiously.

"I-I'm sorry. Did you want daisies or something?" Ezra asks as he furrows his brow in confusion.

"This isn't about the goddamn flowers, idiot! This is about you taking Lena without telling me!" I shout.

Seconds later, Theo begins to scream. Great. My yelling woke him up.

"Hey. Don't cry." Ezra mutters as he takes Theo out of the crib, and rocks the baby in his arms.

"Look what you've done!" I scream through my tears.

"Look what I've done? Your yelling was what woke him up!" Ezra exclaims.

"I wouldn't have been yelling if you hasn't scared the crap out of me!" I fire back.

"Stop fighting! It's my fault!" Lena says as she bursts into tears.

"No, Lena. It's not your fault. Daddy is a grown up, and he should have known better." I say as pick up my daughter.

"Lena, take Theo and go into the other room. I'd like to have a work with Mommy." Ezra says as he puts our son down.

Lena nods, and Theo follows her out of the room. Great. Now I'm alone with my husband, who I'm absolutely furious with.

"Aria, what is this about? Ever since you came home on Friday, you've been an absolute mess. If Theo or Lena is away from you for thirty seconds, you have a total mental break down." Ezra says as his voice begins to soften.

"It's my anxiety. You know that I get bad spells..." I start to say.

"But you were doing so well! Something must have triggered this. Talk to me, Aria. Please talk to me." Ezra says as he stares into my hazel eyes.

I can't talk to him. If I told him what was bothering me, he'd freak out. If I tell him the truth, I'll have to relive the experience all over again. I can't do that. I'm not strong enough to handle it.

"Please, Aria. I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on." Ezra says before taking my hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze.

I know he's right. If I don't tell Ezra the truth, I won't get past this spell. He needs to know, for both of our sakes.

"It all started last Friday when I took Lena to the park..." I start to say.

Flashback

I walk into Lena's Kindergarden classroom, and smile when I see her playing tag with a group of children. Unlike me, she's a social butterfly, and I'm so happy that she likes school so much.

"Lena, your mother is here." Her teacher calls out to the girl.

Lena looks up, and squeals when she sees me standing in the doorway. Without saying goodbye to her friends, Lena runs over to me and jumps into my arms.

"Mommy!" Lena says with a wide smile.

"How was school, darling?" I ask her softly.

"It was so fun, Mommy. We get to go to the park now, right?" Lena asks with excitement in her voice.

"Yes, of course." I say with a chuckle.

Every Friday I pick Lena up from Kindergarden, and afterwards we go to the park next to the school. It's a wonderful opportunity to spend one on one time with my daughter, while also tiring her out. Lena always falls asleep right at eight o'clock on park days, and that's a major blessing. It gives me the opportunity to spend some "one on one" time with my husband on Friday nights.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Lena exclaims.

I sign Lena out, and walk her to the play ground. It's usually pretty crowded on Friday afternoons, but strangely enough it's empty today. More room for Lena, I guess.

"What would you like to do?" I ask my daughter curiously.

"Play structure!" Lena exclaims as she gestures towards the giant object.

I hate the stupid play structure. It's so big that you can't see your child from the benches down bellow, and I always worry that something will happen to Lena while she's playing up there. I'm worrying about nothing. Lena will be fine.

"Okay. I'll be right down here reading. Call for me if you need anything." I tell the girl seriously.

Lena nods before handing me her jacket, and running up the stairs. There she goes. I take a seat on the bench, and open up my book. Less than five minutes into my reading session, I hear Lena screaming.

"Mommy!" She cries out.

Without thinking about it, I drop my book and climb to the top of the play structure. A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I see a man in his mid-twenties wrestling with my daughter, and trying to put the duct tape over her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Take your fucking hands off my daughter!" I scream furiously.

The man gasps when he looks up, and sees me standing on the play structure. Without saying a word, he drops Lena and sprints away. I immediately wrap my arms around Lena, and hold her so close to me that I doubt she can breathe.

"What happened?" I ask as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"I-I was playing and that man came up to me. He asked if I'd help him find his puppy, but I said no because I'm not allowed to talk to strangers. The man got super angry, and tried to take me away..." Lena says as she begins to cry even harder.

"Oh, Lena. Thank goodness you screamed for me. I'm so proud of you, baby girl." I say through my tears.

"Mommy, why did the man want to take me away from you?" Lena asks as she looks up at me with her big blue eyes.

The simple question breaks my heart. Lena is so innocent, and she has no idea how evil some people are. Odds are, that man was a pedophile who wanted to use Lena and then kill her. The thought alone makes me cry even harder.

"Mommy..." Lena starts to ramble.

"Baby, there are some very evil people in the world. I'm afraid that man was one of them." I say as I shake my head slowly.

"I-I want Daddy." Lena says as she buries her head in my chest.

Ezra. This will hurt him as much as it hurt me. I remember how devastated Ezra was when Charles kidnapped me, and locked me up for three weeks. He'll be even more upset when he hears about someone trying to steal Lena. She's Ezra's little girl, and the though of someone taking her will break his heart. I don't want him to know about this. It will send both of us into a downward spiral.

"Lena, let's just keep this between us." I say with a breathy sigh.

"Y-You want me to lie to Daddy?" Lena asks as her eyes grow wide with shock.

"No! It's not lying. You're just not mentioning what happened." I say, trying to convince her and myself.

"Why? Daddy says that if someone hurts me, I have to tell him right away. Daddy will give that man a boo-boo, and that's good because he needs to learn a lesson." Lena tells me seriously.

"Lena, you have no idea how badly I want Daddy to teach that man a lesson, but he's gone now. Even if we told Daddy, he wouldn't have the opportunity. The mean man isn't ever going to hurt you again." I whisper as I run my fingers through my daughter's curls.

"But Mommy..." Lena starts to say.

"Sh-sh. Please just trust me on this one. You're safe now Lena, I promise." I say as I try to hold back tears.

"Okay." Lena says in defeat.

"That's my girl." I mutter as I pull Lena even closer to me.

"Mommy?" Lena asks me softly.

"What is it, sweetheart?" I ask her curiously.

"Thanks for saving me." Lena says through her tears.

"You don't have to thank me, Lena. I'm always going to protect you. That's my job." I tell my daughter seriously.

End of Flashback

By the time I finish telling Ezra the story, both of us are in tears. I rest a hand on my husband's shoulder, but he immediately pulls away. Great. He's angry with me.

"Ezra..." I start to say.

"Just stop. I cannot believe you kept this from me." Ezra says as he begins to raise his voice.

"You don't understand..." I start to say.

"Then explain it to me, Aria! What on Earth would compel you to keep this a secret? We've always had an honest relationship, and that's one of the reasons our marriage is so successful. You keeping that from me, and then asking Lena to keep it from me, is probably the most hurtful thing you've ever done. I feel so betrayed." Ezra says as he shakes his head slowly.

He's right. What on Earth was I thinking? Why couldn't I bring myself to tell him earlier?

"I'm sorry..." I start to say.

"I wish that was enough, but sorry doesn't cut it this time. Our little girl went through something so traumatic, and she needed her Mommy and Daddy. You didn't give me the chance to be there for her." Ezra says with anger in his voice.

"You're right. I didn't think about how keeping this from you would effect our daughter. I was so upset..." I start to say.

"Did you even think to call the police? That sick man is still out there, and odds are he'll try to abduct another little girl. If Lena hadn't screamed for you, she probably wouldn't be here. If that man hurts someone else's daughter, it will be on you." Ezra says with disgust in his voice.

Oh my god. I didn't even think of that. What if that man kidnaps someone's baby girl? It will be all my fault. How will I live with myself? I begin to sob harder than I've ever sobbed before, but Ezra doesn't make an effort to comfort me. He just sits there, with a furious look on his face.

"Ezra... I kept this from you because I wanted to forget that anyone ever tried to hurt Lena. What Charles did to me hurt, and it still hurts. He ruined my innocence, and took away a huge part of my childhood. I wish I could take all of it back, but I can't. What happened in Rosewood is always going to be there, even though I just want to forget..." I start to say.

"Aria..." Ezra interrupts.

"But when Lena was born, I got this new sense of hope. Even though it was too late for me, it wasn't too late for her. I thought that I could prevent her from getting hurt, but it didn't take long for me to realize that I couldn't. That's when the anxiety started to kick in." I say as I begin to hyperventilate.

"Look at me." Ezra says as his voice begins to soften.

But I can't look at him. I'm too ashamed.

"Aria, look at me." Ezra repeats.

I finally find the strength to look into my husband's blue eyes, and when I do I begin to fall apart even more.

"Lena and Theo are going to get hurt. That's part of life. There isn't anything you can do to change that, even though you try so hard to protect them." Ezra says with a sigh.

"Please stop." I say with a whimper.

"Aria, we need to talk about this. I know it hurts, but these bottled up emotions are too important to ignore." Ezra says as his tone turns serious.

I nod, and Ezra continues to speak.

"Like I said before, Lena and Theo are going to get hurt. Hopefully not as significantly as you were, but it's going to happen eventually. All we can do as parents is give them the tools they need to overcome pain and hardship." Ezra says as he rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Ezra, how am I supposed to teach them those things? I'm an absolute mess! Theo and Lena see me when I'm at my worst, and they know how afraid I am. How are they supposed to feel safe and secure when their own mother obviously doesn't?" I ask through my tears.

"Aria... You're forgetting what you're like at your best. I'll admit that your lows are very low, but you're highs are very high. Tell me this, what was the happiest moment of your life?" Ezra asks me.

"Probably the first time I held Lena. I was just as happy with Theo, but she was our first baby. I didn't know I was capable of feeling that much joy." I say with a slight smile.

"What was the happiest moment of this year?" Ezra questions.

"I don't know... Maybe Theo's first birthday? It was so nice that the girls all flew in to see him." I say after thinking about it for a minute.

"This week?" Ezra questions.

"The last few days have been really hard, but Wednesday night was really nice. You made me that delicious dinner, and then we had some fun after the kids went to sleep." I say as I wink at Ezra playfully.

"God. I forgot all about that. It certainly was fun though." Ezra says with a chuckle.

I nod, and giggle at my husband.

"Do you think all of those happy moments make up for the hard ones?" Ezra asks me softly.

"Yes." I say with a nod.

"Well, that's what you can tell our children when things go wrong for them. Even though bad things happen, the good things make everything worthwhile. Lena and Theo are going to experience all the joys you've experienced." Ezra says as he stares into my hazel eyes.

"Do you think so?" I ask my husband with a sniffle.

"I know so." Ezra says with a nod.

"I just hope Lena finds a man as perfect as you. Someone who will love and take care of her." I mutter.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she will. I want Theo to marry a woman as kind and selfless as you are." Ezra says before kissing my forehead softly.

"I love you." I tell my husband truthfully.

"I love you more." Ezra says with a slight smile.

At that moment, the door creeks open. Ezra and I look up at the same time, and we see Lena standing in the doorway.

"Hello, sweetheart. Where is your baby brother?" I ask her curiously.

"In his play pen. Mommy, are you and Daddy still fighting?" Lena asks me softly.

"No, Lena. Everything is fine. Why don't you come here, and sit on my lap?" Ezra asks our daughter softly.

Lena nods, before running over to Ezra and burying her head in his chest. He strokes our daughter's hair softly, and I can't help but smile at the interaction between them.

"Honey, Mommy told me all about the mean man at the park." Ezra tells her gently.

"S-she did?" Lena asks as her eyes grow wide with shock.

"Yeah, I did. It wasn't fair of me to keep that from Daddy, and I'm so sorry I put you in that position." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"It's okay, Mommy." Lena tells me softly.

"No. It isn't okay. I was wrong." I say as I stare into my husband's blue eyes.

"Aria, what's done is done. We can't take back the past. I just need to know that you're okay, Lena." Ezra says as he stares down at our daughter.

"I-I'm okay." Lena says as her chin begins to quiver nervously.

"No, I can tell you're not okay. Are you scared, princess?" Ezra asks her gently.

"Yes, Daddy." Lena says as tears begin to spill out of her eyes.

"It's okay to be scared, but you need to know that you're safe now. Tomorrow we're going to go to the police station, and talk to the nice men about what happened. They'll catch the man who tried take you, and he won't ever be able to hurt a little girl again." Ezra tells our daughter.

"O-Okay." Lena says with a whimper.

Ezra hugs our daughter even tighter, and Lena's cries begin to intensify. Poor thing.

"That man chose the wrong girl to mess with, Lena Fitz. You were so brave at the park the other day." Ezra says as tears begin to form in his eyes.

"Mommy saved me. If she hadn't come to find me, the man would have taken me away." Lena says through her tears.

My daughter's words cause me to let out an audible sob. What if I hadn't heard her scream? I can't imagine life without Lena.

"Come over here, Mommy." Ezra instructs.

I nod, and run over to my husband and daughter. Ezra pulls us in for a group hug, and my tears begin to die down. I'm safe with Ezra, and so is Lena. It's going to be okay. We're all going to be okay.

"I love my girls so much." Ezra says as he tightens his grasp on us.

"We love you too, honey. How about the four of us go into the city for dinner? I think we all could use some fun." I say with a slight smile.

"Really? Does this mean you're not sad anymore?" Lena asks as she looks up at me.

"No. I'm not sad anymore. I'm the happiest woman on the planet." I tell my daughter truthfully.

Ezra smiles, before kissing my forehead softly. How did I end up with such a wonderful husband? I'll never be able to answer that question.

"Why don't you bring Theo in here so I can get him dressed? Afterwards we'll go wherever you want." I tell my daughter.

Lena nods before running out of the nursery, and leaving me alone with Ezra for the second time today.

"I'm proud of you, Aria." Ezra says as he runs his fingers through my silky hair.

"Yeah. I'm proud of me too." I say with a sniffle.

"I want you to know that you're stronger. You're stronger than the anxiety, you're stronger than Charles, and you're stronger than that man at the park. You're stronger than all of it." Ezra says as he stares into my hazel eyes.

"You've told me that a million times, but this is the first time I'm starting to believe it." I say, truly meaning my words.

AN: I wrote this one-shot a while ago, and I finally decided to post it. I'd like to dedicate this story to anyone who's ever dealt with anxiety or depression. Even though life is hard, you can always find something to smile about. I hope you enjoyed this story! Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading :)


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